Just like Jackson: Meet Winter Garden's mini King of Pop

Caleb Brewer was just a toddler when his talent for dancing revealed itself.

When he was 2 years old, his father played some music from an iPad, and Caleb started moving. From there, the rest is history.

“I just went off dancing,” Caleb said. “My dad bought me an iPad, and my dad put on music on my iPad, and I just started dancing.”

Today, the 7-year-old dancer regularly moonwalks, shuffles and spins onstage impersonating the late pop-music legend Michael Jackson at various events.

“I like to dance to Michael Jackson,” Caleb said. “(His songs) have a cool beat. You get it? ‘Beat. It.’ They have a cool beat. ‘Beat It.’”

Brewer taught himself how to dance by watching YouTube videos. Although he enjoys dancing to the King of Pop, he got his start dancing to a different song, his mother Christine said.

“Nobody really taught him (how to dance),” Christine said. “I saw him dancing to ‘Gangnam Style’ at age 2, and I said, ‘Wow, you’re on the beat.’ … He just went to town and got better and better. He just watches YouTube (videos).”

Christine said Caleb discovered Michael Jackson through YouTube and started dancing to his music soon thereafter. He loved it so much that she bought him clothes that match Michael Jackson’s style for Halloween one year, and he started dancing in them. Eventually, they bought him more clothes to dance in that match Jackson’s style. Today, Caleb’s grandmother makes his dancing outfits.

“I was watching YouTube videos for Michael Jackson and he said, ‘Mom, I can do that,’” Christine said. “He showed me (he could) … then I got him clothes (like Michael Jackson’s) and he got better and better after that.”

Caleb’s father, Albert, said Caleb loves performing onstage and watching the reactions of the audience.

“He’s not intimidated by big crowds — the bigger crowd, the better,” Albert said. “What joys me about my son dancing is watching people have the joy of watching him dance. That’s my joy — when I see people smile and laugh and just love it. You can tell their heart is just pouring out for the love of him.”

In November 2017, Caleb auditioned for “America’s Got talent.” The Brewers waited in line for nine hours with about 9,000 other hopefuls. The audition itself lasted 90 seconds. Unfortunately, Caleb was not selected.

“They like (performers with) a sad story,” Albert said. “They like something that will move your heart. … They want a story. It’s a TV show. It’s about stories. It’s about the heart, and all we had was he loves to dance.”

He didn’t have any luck with “America’s Got Talent,” but he will be performing in this year’s Florida Kids and Family Expo at the Orange County Convention Center from Aug. 18 to 19.

Caleb has performed in many locations locally, around the country and in other parts of the world. He’s danced as a street performer on Fremont Street in Las Vegas and at Pier 60 in Clearwater Beach. He’s even performed in Dubai and in the Philippines. 

In terms of local performances, Christine said Caleb often gets invited to dance at assisted-living facilities. 

“He likes performing over there,” Christine said. “They cry (from) so much joy.”

“I like making old people happy,” Caleb said. “The one thing I don’t like is when I dance at the assisted-living (facility), I shake hands when them and then they kiss me.”

Caleb said he plans to keep dancing as he grows up. And he hopes to get another chance with “America’s Got Talent.”

“The one thing that I want to do is go on ‘America’s Got Talent’ so I can ... be famous,” he said.